The Hanging Tree
by Nexylex
Summary: Naoki is looked at as the daughter of a traitor. After learning the dark truth for her father's death, she must learn to either adapt to the unfair world, or risk being completely torn apart by it. KakashiX OC (WARNING! very dark story, inspired by a song.) please R&R so I know if I'm wasting my time.


_Are you, are you. Coming to the tree, where they strung up a man. They say murdered three. Strange things did happen here. No stranger would it seem if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

The night Konoha saw many deaths, lost many good people was the night the Uchiha clan fell. No one knew why it happened, or what drove the men who betrayed their home to do what they did. Everyone who knew Itachi knew just how outstanding of a ninja he was with great promise. People were even more shocked that someone who wasn't even related to the Uchiha's, and some who was so close to the third Hokage to also have a part in the massacre. Nobuo was known was a very loyal man to carry out any wish the Hokage asked of him. The two were very much like brother's.

The two elite ninja were quick, and didn't even seem to hesitate with such a dark, bloody action. Nobuo had attempted to make a path for the two out of the village taking three lives in the process, but wasn't so lucky himself. He managed to get Itachi out safely, but sealed his own doom. Some say he fought back relentlessly, but others say he just fell to his knees with his bloody hands over his face once Itachi was out of sight. The Jounin who captured the fellow Konoha set out to report to his family of the news. Nobuo's wife was doing what she did every night when she knew he was returning from a mission. She was hard at work making a special dinner just for his return. upon seeing the grim face's at her doorstep she knew it was news most unwelcome. The realization that her husband wasn't coming home destroyed her fragile heart. The people with ties to the Uchiha clan demanded blood, and were not satisfied with merely locking away the poor soul for good.

Nobuo just happened to be the man left behind to endure all of the punishment, the perfect scapegoat. He knew this would happen, and welcomed his fate reluctantly.

The people rose up against the village ninja, and not wanting to harm their people could do little as Nobuo was taken from their custody. The once calm peaceful people were now animals. They beat, tortured, and tore into the man, but he didn't say or do anything to stop them. Whenever they asked why he would just simple reply,

"For Konoha...".

This wasn't hat they were wanting to hear though. They wanted to hear the man beg for his life and cry out apologies. Once they were done with him they tied a rough rope around the man's neck and hung him there to die. This was something so uncommon of these people, some say they were driven mad from the loss. The tree chosen for such a sad death was a lone tree in clearing up on a hill, withered from old age and harsh winters. They left him there swinging in the wind on the outskirts of the village banished in death. His ninja headband was placed over his eyes with a deep scratch through the village's symbol.

When midnight dawned the scared and shaken family set out in search of their loved one after hearing rumors that he got away from the Jounin. The two remained hopeful, wishing he ran and kept on running, just wanting him to be safe. Just when they were about to give up and return home, they saw him. A shadowy figure suspended in the darkness. The mother Chikako let out a mournful cry and fell to her knees sobbing. Her daughter stood frozen to the spot, staring into the night. She prayed it was just shadows playing tricks on their minds. She slowly began to approach the tree. The closer she got the more her stomach churned now that she could see her father's body through the darkness. She was letting her mind go crazy with trying to figure out how anyone could do this to someone, let alone a man from the same village. She must of gone over the same question in her mind a billion time in that moment

'Why...'

No answer came, her whole body shaking with anger, and sorrow. She went up the bent and dry tree to release her father from his binds. the snap of the rope and a loud thumb didn't ease her pain any once he was free. It wasn't going to being him back to them. There was no hero's funeral for her father. No one came to say good bye, no one except a silver headed man. She knew of the copy cat ninja and his own father's disgrace. Perhaps that was what drew him to the sad girl. He towered over her as she wept in front of a simple picture of his smiling carefree face, as if nothing happened and he was about to crack one of his horrible jokes any second.

"He was strong all the way up to the end..." His voice, somber and low, broke the tense silence. They were both Jounin, this man must of worked with him at some point.

"He was a fool, and betrayed the village...don't you hate him?" she looked over her shoulder at the ninja but he was already gone. "Naoki!" The voice of Hana came ringing over the fence to the cemetery. She was a very energetic medical ninja and found it hard to grasp the idea of subtle approaches to sensitive information. "Naoki! I can't handle it anymore at your place! your mom is driving me nuts with her ramblings about Nobuo! She is freaking nuts, woman!" With her visit cut short again Naoki rose and waved Hana off "sorry for the trouble, thank you!". Ever since that night her mother slipped further and further away from reality. Some people were born to live in this harsh world, others were born to be broken by it. Her mother spend most days reliving moments of when her father was still alive. She would prepare his favorite meals, have conversations with the air, and always mentioned how Nobuo was due to return any day now from a long mission.

"Mom please stop this, Father isn't coming home ever again! you have to move on!" the more time passed the more Naoki's heart was broken. She hated seeing her mother suffer like this, and she tried everything to help her wake up from her dream. Though a part of her wished she could join her mother in that dream.

Naoki didn't have the heart to tell her mother that she too was now becoming a ninja, well more of a spy really. She never spoke to anyone about the night Danzo came to visit her the night they placed her father in a nameless grave. He spoke to her about what really happened that night. About how the Hokage had ordered the whole thing. She didn't know what to believe. How could the one man that was like a brother to her father, force such an act upon a loyal man? Why doom a whole clan to their death simple by an order. Danzo spoke how the village needed a new leader, one that would lead its people into the light. Naoki could only agree as she was a witness to the Third Hokage's abused power. She made it her personal mission to see that the Hokage got what he deserved for putting Konoha in the dark.


End file.
